Jailing Methodist Jerry Kulah

United Methodism’s schism in Africa resulted in the brief incarceration of Methodist leader Jerry Kulah, who led 100 churches (of 500 in Liberia) out of the denomination. Kulah is well known as a leader of African delegates at several United Methodist General Conferences across the years reaffirming traditional teachings.

Kulah and his churches in Liberia have aligned with the new Global Methodist Church. The United Methodist bishop in Liberia, Samuel Quire, although professing to support traditional teachings, cleaves to the U.S. based liberalized denomination. Two weeks ago, police arrested Kulah and others at a Methodist church that United Methodism claimed.

Liberia’s Senate has now intervened to mediate the Methodist schism. In the U.S. close to 8,000 congregations quit United Methodism under a temporary provision allowing departure with church property. But United Methodism outside the U.S. never had this opportunity. The (what were) roughly five million United Methodists in Africa are overwhelmingly traditional and are left in difficult circumstances. Their bishops, although officially traditional, prefer financial ties to the U.S. church.

In November 2024, Liberian United Methodism suspended Kulah from the presidency of the United Methodist university in Liberia. Kulah, as a delegate, strongly protested U.S.-led United Methodism’s new heterodox policies on sexuality adopted at the May 2024 General Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Last month, Liberia’s United Methodist annual conference unanimously reaffirmed its opposition to heterodox sexual standards while also warning legal action against any departing churches. But Kulah and other departees from United Methodism convened their own meeting at the same time, aligning with the new Global Methodist Church. Liberia’s United Methodist Women’s group also exited the denomination.

These departees pointed out that the old United Methodism is a global church operating under a governing Book of Discipline that no longer precludes sex outside of male-female marriage. Kulah says Liberia’s bishop had previously promised that Liberia would officially exit United Methodism. That bishop now claims Liberia can remain traditional under a proposed “regionalization” plan allowing some autonomy to overseas United Methodist areas.

Late last month some Liberian congregants found their church locked to them by their newly appointed pro-United Methodist pastor. They began removing United Methodist signage, prompting the United Methodist district superintendent to appear with police, who arrested two men. Early this month Liberia’s bishop got an arrest warrant for at least six church members and their pastor for refusing to relinquish their church property.

On March 3, at a different church, Kulah and several others were arrested amid tear gas and mayhem as congregants insisted the church property was theirs and no longer United Methodist. A local court had ruled the building belonged to United Methodism. Kulah and the others were released later that day, after which Kulah announced there would be no backing down: “We will fight this battle, and Jesus will win. Jesus has already won.”

Responding to the arrests, a Liberian Senate committee urged both factions to worship peacefully in their respective churches while the committee investigates.  Kulah attended the Senate hearing while the United Methodist bishop did not. The committee also recommended against any police action against either faction, that pastoral appointments in disputed churches pause during negotiations, and the government remain neutral while tensions deescalate and mediation continues.

The sometimes-violent United Methodist schism, replicated in Nigeria, is tragic and unnecessary. Had United Methodism retained its traditional standards, Africa’s churches, where United Methodism is larger than in the U.S., could have remained together. Now they are torn apart not directly by theology but largely about concerns over funding from the U.S. The United Methodist General Conference also could have prevented this chaos by creating a practical exit policy for overseas churches. A further complication is that much if not most African countries do not have clear, much less enforceable, laws about the legal status of United Methodist church properties.

To many of us, Jerry Kulah is a courageous and principled old friend with whom we long labored and whom we continue to admire. His incarceration, however brief, is troubling. But doubtless he never hesitated to follow his principles wherever they lead. We pray for his leadership and safety. And we pray that Methodism in Africa will survive the current chaos and once again expand the Gospel’s Kingdom.